Cigar-punch.



PATENTED SEPT. 8, 1903;

L. 'J. HOPKINS. CIGAR PUNCH; APPLIUATIOK FILED D110. 23, 1902.

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Witnesses. hm J" J f? N ma 5 PFYERS co. FNOTO-LITHO UNITED STATES iatented September 8, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS J. HOPKINS, OF TORRINGTON, CONNECTICUT.

CIGAR-PUNCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 738,540, dated September 8, 1903.

Application filed December 28,1902. Serial No.136,422 (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,LoUIs J HOPKINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Torrington, in the county of Li'tchfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cigar-Punches, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in cigar-punches, its object being, among other things, to providea simple and convenient device that will pierce a hole through the tip of a cigar, which device shall be compact inform, neat and pleasingin appearance,and designed so as to be constructed at the minimum cost.

To these and other ends my invention consists in the cigar-punch having certain details of construction and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the claim.

Referring to the drawings, in which like numerals designate like parts in the several views, Figure l is a front elevation of my improved cigar-punch with a portion of the body member broken away. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section upon line AB of Fig. 1.

In carrying out my invention I provide a hollow body member 1, within which the die member 2 is movably but inseparably se cured. The die member 2 is preferably constructed of a single piece of sheet metal and bent midway of its length so as to form two parallel Walls 3 3, thereby leaving one open end, and projecting laterally from said walls adjacent to said open end are the lugs 4.. The body and die members are inseparably secured together by means of the ears 5 5 upon the sides of the body member 1, said ears being turned inwardly over the lugs 4, as shown in Fig. l. Projecting inwardly from the wall 3. of the die member is a circular conical boss 7, having a hole 8 therethrough, and concentrio therewith through the wall 3 is the aperture 6. Fixed to the bottom of the body member l is the punch 9, which projects upwardly therefrom between the walls of the die member and is surrounded by a coil-spring 10, one end of which abuts against the bottom of the body member and the other end against the boss 7.

In operation the device is grasped between the fingers, one being at the bottom of the body member and the other at the top of the die member. The tip of the cigar is inserted through the open throat of the boss 7 into the aperture 6, and then by pressing the ends of the two members together the punch 9cuts a hole through the cigar at a right angle to its axis. During this movement the punch is guided at its upper end within a slot 11 through the boss 7. By removing the pressure upon the ends of the body and die members the said members are returned to their original positions by the spring 10 and the punch is withdrawn from the cigar.

The common method to provide a draft for a cigar is to cut off the end of the tip; but this is objectionable, because it loosens the wrapper, and to overcome this I have provided the device herein described, by means of which a hole is pierced in the tip of the cigar and a draft means provided Without de-' stroying or loosening the wrapper.

My cigar-punch can be made in an endless variety of shapes, as well as highly ornamented, and be carried in the pocket or used as a watch-charm, and I would therefore have it understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact construction herein shown and described, but claim all that falls fairly within the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- In a cigar-punch, the combination with a die member formed of a single piece of sheet metal and bent midway of its length and having an aperture'through each of its walls concentric with each other; a hollow body member arranged so as to inclose one end of said die member and provided with means, whereby the said die member will be movably but inseparably secured therein; a punch fixed to said body member and lying between the walls of said die member; and a spring between the bottom of said body member and a part upon said die member for normally holding said members in their extended positions.

In-testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS J. HOPKINS. Witnesses:

FRANK T. HOMMOND, SARAH M. KILBoUnN. 

